Stamina CPS 1305 Indoor Upright Exercise Bike

Comment: Every time you come across a product like this, you start losing faith in the trustworthiness of Amazon reviews, because your experience and that of the rave reviewers couldn't be more diametrically opposed. You can't help wonder if these people are on the company payroll, got "lucky", or merely posted a review before they really got a chance to use this item. I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that they've yet to really use the product long enough to give an accurate appraisal of it. With that being said, judging from my experience and that of the two negative reviewers with similar problems, I would heartily suggest taking the rave reviews with a grain of salt.

Long story short: bought the bike sight unseen due to the positive ratings. The bike assembled beautifully and seemed to have a solid build, not to mention looked wonderful, too. Yes, the chain was loud as hell, but I could deal with it, because I watch TV while cycling anyway, and could just turn up the volume to mask the noise. The resistance as well was very tight, but no biggie-- all I had to do was just adjust the velco strap on the bike, so I did.

All seemed well initially until *it* happened. After the second day of usage, a very loud rattling and knocking noise started to emerge whenever I pedaled. I investigated the source of the problem and well-- what do you know-- discovered that the wheel, which had been functioning perfectly the day before, was now wobbling greatly from side to side.

Not one to waste time, I immediately shipped the defective product back to Amazon for a replacement because defective parts notwithstanding, it's a beautiful looking bike with terrific ergonomics and couldn't be easier to assemble. So I figured that a product this well put together couldn't be bad and that I had received a lemon.

Got the replacement. Once again, everything assembled beautifully. Started using the bike and noticed instantly that the wiring for the monitor was bad. The monitor itself was working (would turn on when you pressed the button), but didn't respond at all when I started pedaling, so this was clearly a problem with the wiring that connected the bike to the monitor. No big deal once again-- all I cared about was a working bike and besides, I wasn't going to go through the rigamarole of taking it apart and shipping it back just for the sake of the monitor.

With the bad wire I continued my workout and about a half hour in started to hear 1) a loud clicking in the right peddle 2) the beginnings of what sounded like the wheel about to go bad again. (Mind you, this is only the first day!) I prayed that this was as bad as it was going to get with the replacement bike. But the next day, the clicking not only continued, the wheel's rattling got noticeably louder. It wasn't as loud as with the first bike, but the fact that the noise was getting progressively louder in such a short amount of time was a bad, bad sign that it was going to get to that point again. Between that and the clicking pedal-- not to mention the problems with the first bike-- I knew that this was a defective product and that even if I got a brand new replacement that worked perfectly for the first few weeks, that I'd be lucky if I got a year's use out of it.

I'm still going to hang on to this bike for a day or two before contemplating whether to just cut my losses or go through the hassle of repacking and shipping it back. Either way, this has been one of the most disheartening purchases I've ever made. Nothing is worse than falling in love with a product that seems to have all the qualities of a solid performer but is defective. The Stamina CPS 1305 is that product. It may look great, assemble great, and feel great, but it isn't built to last-- not by a longshot. :-(

Comment: This bike is great! It took about a week to get here with the free shipping. I was a little scared because the pic shown makes the bike look flimsy and sort of like a toy. Being a girl of 200 lbs. I was hoping, when the bike arrived, this would not be the case. To my surprise, it is not!!! My husband assembled it when it arrived and had no trouble. The bike is very sturdy and the seat is wide enough for me to sit comfortably although I would have liked it to be a little softer (- 1/2 a star). You can adjust the tension on either the front velcro strap (for more intense tenstion) or on a dial located right beneath the handle bars(for a subtle increase). This bike could be a little more quiet (-1/2 a star). It will sound louder the more you adjust the tension with the velcro strap. If you are thinking about riding while watching the TV you're going to have the TV loud. I listen to my headphones while riding so it's not that big of a deal. Oh, I think I should mention I live in a small apartment; I have this bike in my living room and it doesn't take up much space at all, nor is it an eyesore. I have been riding it vigorously for a month now with no problems. GET THIS BIKE!!!

Comment: within 2 months of purchasing this bike i'm trying to figure out how i can fit it into the trash can in order to throw it out.

i've had i repaired twice, and could have bought a nicer bike to begin with, with what i paid to get this one repaired.

potential buyers should know that some of the metal washers on the axle of the front wheel are made of some sort
of soft black metal. with use, these metal washers grind away to nothing, leaving black smudges on my carpet that
i can't get out. the gaps left after the washers wear away cause the wheel to wobble and rub against the plastic casing
making an awful noise and because the wheel wobbles the chain skips.

in addition to poor performance i'm worried about being exposed to the soft metal that the metal washers were made of.
i guess i should pick up a lead test kit at the hardware store.

when it come to this bike and it's maker, save your money, it's an awful product.

Comment: I workout daily, which wares equipment quickly. After getting this bike (my 2nd bike, as the previous one gave up the ghost after 2 years) I knew that it would break down. It took an amazing 2 1/2 weeks for the resistance strap to disintegrate. I've never come across a product which failed as quickly as this one did. I ended up getting a more expensive model by Schwinn with an extended service warranty as these things don't seem to have much of an operational lifespan.

Comment: I found this bike to be very sturdy and more importantly easy to move and store. I had another bike which was fancier but it was huge and took up way too much space. I can move this from room to room if I want. I easily assembled it in less than 20 minutes. The seat is relatively comfortable for 30 minutes. Any longer and I would recommend a gel pad. The tension works fine as does the digital monitor. A good buy for the low price.